


Wish You Were Mine

by LicoricePrince



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: College Life, Friendship, Heartbreak, M/M, Possibly Unrequited Love, Teen Romance, dares
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:55:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27211552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LicoricePrince/pseuds/LicoricePrince
Summary: Standing from the sidelines, Leon would witness not only his best friend fall for someone, only to get his heart broken, but he watched as his crush slipped between his fingers, and fall apart completely, as one guy after another left him dismantled, leaving Leon to pick up the broken pieces and mend them together again.
Relationships: America/Iceland (Hetalia), Hong Kong/Iceland (Hetalia), Iceland/South Korea (Hetalia)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 12





	Wish You Were Mine

Amber eyes studied the male sitting across from him. Every detail from the feather-like silver hair and magenta eyes to the hand gestures used as a replacement to express his feelings had never once left Leon's mind. If it weren't for the chatter that occurred around them, Leon would escape to his fantasy world where the only residents were himself and his crush. With his left elbow resting on the poorly made round table, he used his other hand to guide the plastic utensil across the various food groups on the styrofoam plate. The food itself, if one could call white mush and a mysterious brown dish food, was flavorless and lacked quality ingredients. Emil, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. The citizen from Iceland was far from an average monotonous individual. He was intelligent, had a sense of humor, and had this smile that was such a rare sight, but whenever it was revealed, Leon couldn't help but smile back. There was never a dull moment when he was around, and his presence alone was adequate to keep Leon on cloud nine.

"Hey, are you listening?" A voice asked, bringing the starstruck male out of his daze. "Hmm?" He hummed, drunk off the image of his crush staring at him as he picked at the suspicious substance on the plate. He wasn't going to concede that he was preoccupied with staring at someone that managed to capture his full undivided attention, who happened to be the same person trying to tell him something. In response to the lack of attentiveness, Emil rolled his eyes. “I asked if you were still up for this weekend.”

Leon, who was still stuck in the make-believe world, hummed again. His eyes were glossed over, and though they never gazed away from the ones they adored, Leon was not fully present in reality, nor was he fully aware of the question at hand. When Emil noticed that he was being ignored, he raised a brow and snapped his fingers. “What is with you today? I know you can be a bit disinterested in half the stuff I say, but you are never this inattentive. I won’t ask what you’re thinking about, I couldn’t care less, nor do I want to know what occurs in that small mind of yours, but you seem invested in whatever you’re thinking.”

The action of snapping led to Leon snapping out of his trance and his eyes would blink with confusion. “Huh, did you say something, Em?” He asked, sitting back, though he couldn’t lean back too far, or else he would fall off the blue stool. 

“I swear, you’re helpless. I asked if you still wanted to hang out this weekend. You were the one to suggest we do something.” Leon picked at the food for a final time before he pushed the styrofoam plate to the side, not wanting to even try to digest the questionable substance that was passed as food. He would shrug at the question asked of him, but deep down, he was excited about their plans, even if nothing was actually planned for the two-day break from school. “Yeah, I have nothing better to do anyway. I hope you’re ready to spend the entire day with me.” He snickered, knowing full well that Emil would protest doing anything that would seem extreme or possibly get them arrested. “Yeah, yeah. Just no fireworks, okay?”

Leon would pout at the small comment as he stood up, taking the plate with him to toss it in the trash. “But fireworks are amazing, especially if you set them off all at once! You’re just a buzzkill.” He stuck out his tongue in a teasing manner as he waited for Emil to get up and get rid of his trash. The two of them would blend in with their peers as they walked towards their next class for the day. “Right, next time you feel the need to set off those toys of yours, leave me out of it. Good luck in jail, they will enjoy that pretty face.” Leon smirked as the two walked up the stairs and would savor the oh-so-wonderful comment bestowed upon him, even if it was meant as a joke. “Aww, won’t you miss your handsome best friend, Em? Your life would be so lonesome if I weren’t around to add that splash of excitement to your life.” Emil rolled his eyes as he stepped inside the classroom and walked down one of the isles to take a seat at an available desk. “I’ll pass. It will definitely be quieter without you around.”

Leon would pout as he took the seat beside Emil. “Oh, c’mon, I’m not that bad.” I-” He would be cut short of his statement when the teacher entered the classroom and would proceed with a new lecture.

\--------------

The rest of the school day went by in a breeze. Leon and Emil didn’t share their final class and usually would meet up by the school entrance to walk home together or visit one of the latest teen hotspots. However, today would not be one of those days because Emil had an undisclosed matter to attend to, leaving Leon to walk home alone with only his thoughts to keep him busy on the journey home.  
He didn’t have a clue as to what Emil was up to that afternoon, but it was better if it was unknown. He wouldn’t be able to handle what his best friend was up to that afternoon or rather who was accompanying him.

Perhaps, it was a mistake to scroll through social media as he walked along the sidewalk. For one thing, it took his attention away from those that could bump into him, but that meant little to nothing compared to a simple post that would force him to stop within his tracks. After scrolling past a few posts from his peers at school as well as some from celebrities, Leon’s thumb would freeze when his eyes examined a tweet from his younger brother. The words drove him to feel suspicious, for they seemed out of character for the younger sibling. He knew it was probably just a random post to gain attention, but something urged him to feel doubtful. He swallowed that feeling when he read the replies to said tweet and immediately would regret doing so. These replies influenced the behavior and joked about the subject matter. Leon knew full well to not allow jealousy to take hold of him, but it could not be helped. 

Now, he could warn the person in question, but he would be taken for someone that was trying to ruin a chance at love. His actions and choice of words would not be taken seriously. Though, again, this could have all been a misunderstanding. The possibility of Emil going on a date with Yong Soo was slim.

\--------------

Emil had no idea what motivated him to agree to go on a date with Yong Soo. The request came out of the blue around a week ago when Emil was shoving books into his locker. Just as he closed the rectangular storage container, Emil was stopped in his tracks by Yong Soo, who had their arm extended out against the set of lockers. A grin was plastered on their face as he began to throw one flirtatious comment after another, each one left Emil unamused. When none of those attempts to win him over led to success, Yong Soo cut to the chase, figuring he couldn’t win Emil over with cheesy pick-up lines.

“Hey, Emy, how about we go on a date? It will be fun, and I can pay for whatever you want!” Emil gave his peer a questionable look but strived to walk away. “No thanks, I’m not interested.” He tried to get away, far away in fact, but he would not get very far when Yong Soo grabbed his arm, stopping him from escaping. “Wait-” He paused for a moment, trying to calm down from excitement and piece together the words to form a better suitable phrase. “It will be fun, I promise. No tricks, and we can go wherever you want. Just give me one chance.” He pouted his lips, hoping by a slim chance of hope that it would lead to Emil changing his mind. Emil would let out a soft sigh and agree to go on a date but affirmed the Korean that this would be the only date they go on together.

Now, he was sitting in a booth inside a fast-food restaurant with Yong Soo sitting across from him. He held his part of the deal and paid for the items that were placed in front of them. Emil opted for an iced coffee and a small fry, while Yong Soo purchased an entire meal for himself. The two teenagers sat in silence, which was nice, at least Emil thought so, but after watching Yong Soo spend the majority of the date with his eyes glued to his cellphone, Emil began to rethink his decision. This wasn’t a major issue, but Emil began to rethink about agreeing to go on this date when the entire time they sat in silence, and Yong Soo was focused on whatever was displayed on his phone rather than having a conversation with the person he was with. 

When Emil finished his food and drink, he tossed them away in the trash and would tell his date that he had to go home. He didn’t have to head home at that exact moment, but he could not bear just sitting in silence without exchanging a few words. That was when Yong Soo put away his phone and tossed his trash away. He would put on a fake pout and whine about wanting to stay out longer, but Emil told him that he had to leave. So, they departed and went their separate ways.

That night, however, Yong Soo would arrive home rather excited about the events that took place earlier that afternoon. He was thrilled to have gone on a date with someone that was so dense about what was actually going on. Sure, it wasn't technically righteous to ask someone out that wasn't exactly deemed interesting nor attractive, but the Korean male didn't really care. He was only playing the part of someone that seemed interested in the Icelander. It was all due to a stupid dare that his buddies created for harmless fun, and even Yong Soo believed the action was harmless, but his older brother did not share the same outlook. When he walked down the hallway to his bedroom, Leon would exit from his own room and glimpse at his brother with a glare. His amber eyes were flaring with rage as he stumped closer and grabbed Yong Soo by the shirt before pushing him against the nearby wall. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" He yelled, not bothering to take into consideration that their other siblings were tucked away into their own rooms trying to sleep.

The one receiving the question put on an innocent face and grinned. “Whatever do you mean? I simply went on a date. There’s no harm in that.” Leon tightened his grip on the fabric between his fingers. “No harm, huh? Do you think it’s okay to toy with Emil’s heart? Give me one reason why I shouldn’t kill you for playing such a horrible prank on Emil.”

The cheerful brunette smirked, “It’s just a dare, Leon. Chill out. Besides, it’s not like you have the guts to ask him out.” Yong Soo may be an idiot, but he was well aware of the feelings his brother harbored for his best friend and how he was too scared to admit these feelings to the person they were meant for. Leon grew angrier by the truth that was unveiled and shoved his sibling against the wall with more force, disregarding any pain that might have transpired because of the harsh action. “Shut up! Just quit this game of yours and leave Emil alone. He deserves nothing but the best, and that certainly doesn’t include being betrayed because you want to toy around with his feelings.” He spat and released his sibling free to head back to his room. Just as he was about to close the door, Leon glimpsed over at his shoulder and gave Yong Soo a piercing glare. “I mean it, Yong Soo. End this game now before it gets worse.

\--------------

Unfortunately, the little dare never came to an end when the opportunity presented itself. Yong Soo and Emil went on at least three more dates, each one similar to the first in the sense that they spent time at a restaurant or the occasional arcade. Perhaps the fact that Emil wasn’t immersed in social media allowed this charade to continue. Had he been aware of the tweet and the replies discussing the dare, he would have ceased all dates with Yong Soo. Since Leon didn’t intervene, much due to trying not to sound jealous, Emil fell into a deep hole and fell in love with an individual that had zero interests in him. Being the supportive best friend, Leon showed his support and teased Emil for falling in love, but deep down, behind the fallacious smile, Leon was devastated and slightly angry.

Standing from the sidelines, Leon would witness not only his best friend fall for someone, only to get his heart broken, but he watched as his crush slipped between his fingers, and fall apart completely, as one guy after another left him dismantled, leaving Leon to pick up the broken pieces and mend them together again. There wasn’t anything that he could do that wouldn’t jeopardize Emil’s chance at love, so Leon kept the words that were forcing their way out bottled up inside. 

“So, how is the relationship with Yong Soo going? I hope he is treating you well.” Leon spoke up as he lifted a white cup to his lips to take a sip of the scorching contents. Currently, they were sitting at a table inside a cafe they often visited after school when there was nothing else to do or when they didn’t want to go home. Emil shrugged off the question, not wanting to say much about the relationship he was in with the brother of his best friend. There wasn’t anything wrong with the relationship itself, at least to Emil’s acknowledgment, and, while it wasn’t exactly perfect, he was satisfied with the current status. “It is fine, I suppose.” He replied, taking a sip from his iced coffee before setting the cup on the table. Leon’s hands clenched the fabric of his jeans, ‘If only he knew the truth.’ He thought as he moved onto another subject. He couldn’t bring himself to speak of the dare his brother agreed to go along with, nor could he reveal that Emil was doomed to be left behind with a broken heart. Instead, he remained silent, even though it made his chest ache with the feeling of knowing the damage the “relationship” would cause.

After four months of playing along with the little charade set up by his buddies, Yong Soo ended the relationship through a simple yet fabricated text message.

Hey, sorry, but it’s over between us. I’m not interested in you anymore.

Emil was lying on his bed with a book resting on his lap when his phone would vibrate, indicating that someone wanted his attention. When he typed in the passcode and opened the message, he wasn’t anticipating the words to cause his chest to ache. Of course, he wasn’t an idiot and knew that not all relationships last forever, but he had a feeling that this one, while being his first, would reach the six-month mark. It was wishful thinking to have this mindset, but he was a teenager that was still getting accustomed to falling in love, and this was his first heartbreak. Not wanting to reveal that he was sad by the sudden end to his relationship, Emil typed a simple one-word response before tossing his phone. He pushed the book off his lap and brought the covers over his head as a few tears would form in the corner of his eyes and slowly fall down his cheek. 

The following school day, Leon confronted Emil, knowing the event that occurred over the weekend. His younger brother admitted what he had down and didn’t seem to be phased by his actions. It was all a joke in his eyes. Even though Emil denied to shed a tear when confronted by his best friend, Leon could tell that something was off. 

“It’s okay, Em. You’ll find someone better. My brother is an idiot for lying to you and toying with your feelings, but don’t worry. I will ensure that he suffers from hurting you.” His words were powerful, and he stood by his words, but Emil only shook his head. “That won’t be necessary. I’m fine, really. I don’t need your comforting words, though I appreciate your effort. But-” Emil paused for a brief moment as he tried to process the statement Leon said.

‘What did he mean by lying to me? Was Yong Soo playing another trick and didn’t mean to end the relationship?’ 

“He lied to me? What makes you say that?” Emil asked with a hint of curiosity, though it didn’t really matter anymore. Leon didn’t speak and would instead pull out his cellphone to scroll through the Korean’s profile until he found the tweet that led to Emil getting his heart broken. Once he found the tweet, Leon handed his friend the phone to prove that Yong Soo wasn’t truthful during the duration of the relationship. A pair of magenta eyes skimmed through the box containing the tweet but wished he hadn’t done so. He returned the phone to the owner but wouldn’t make eye contact. “I’m sorry, Emil. I should have told you sooner, but I didn’t want to hurt you. You just seemed so-” He would be cut off short by Emil finishing his statement for him. “Happy? Yeah, I was, until you showed me the truth. Thanks for showing me, but it doesn’t matter. I was foolish for believing him and falling for his lies, but it’s whatever, I suppose. No use in dwelling on the past.”

Leon wanted to fight back, tell Emil that it wasn’t okay and that what Yong Soo did was far from okay, but arguing with the Icelander wouldn’t make the situation lighter. Instead, he would provide a shoulder to lean on and arms for any wanted embrace. He would be the caring friend and be someone Emil could rely on.

\--------------

It wouldn’t be long before someone else stepped in to attempt to take their chance at stealing the heart of the Icelander, something that Leon was still incapable of doing. It happened during his freshman year of college, two years after dealing with the heartbreak caused by Yong Soo. Emil would encounter his future boyfriend in physical science during the second month of the semester. The instructor had passed out the assignment for the day, which consisted of conducting a small experiment with a partner, nonetheless.

Unfortunately, there weren’t many options for a partner since his classmates were already on friendly terms and had chosen their partners with ease, leaving Emil left out. However, when there was a knock at the door and when it would suddenly burst open, revealing a face unfamiliar to Emil, something told him that this individual would change his life. The stranger was a male with blonde hair and deep blue eyes. A grin never seemed to leave his face as he loudly apologized to the instructor for being late and would look around for an available seat. His eyes would widen when he stumbled upon the only free seat in the classroom, which happened to be next to Emil.

It wouldn’t take much, but that exact moment, when the stranger sat down in the seat next to Emil, would commence a new relationship that would blossom. 

“Hey, I’m Alfred, what’s your name?” The blond asked with a smile. Emil looked at his lab partner that suddenly introduced himself. ‘Who does he think he is just introducing himself out the blue? Well, guess there’s no point in being rude. Telling him my name won’t hurt if I don’t speak to him again.’

“Emil.” He said nonchalantly. Alfred smiled, “Nice to meet you, Emil! Now, what are we doing?” He chuckled but wasn’t joking, and this earned him a heavy sigh from his lab partner as he proceeded to quickly give a mini-lecture on their assignment. 

Within two months, Emil and Alfred would become friends, occasionally seen at lunch together. They studied with Alfred’s other friends, though not much studying would get done with them around. When they were alone, however, they got some studying done, but sometimes, Alfred would become tired of staring at a textbook and convert to being Emil’s number one distraction. At first, Emil couldn’t stand the bothersome American and wanted to stop hanging around him, but after a while, he would think otherwise. He began to appreciate having Alfred around and didn’t mind taking a break from studying. Sometimes, Emil looked forward to spending late afternoons in Alfred’s dorm room, where the two young adults would waste hours playing video games and eating cheap snacks from the local gas station. In a way, Emil found pleasure in being in the presence of his friend, gaining a similar feeling he had with Leon.

Though he feared for the day to arrive, Emil understood it would happen again. He realized he’d fall in love again, but Emil would not predict that this experience, unlike the time he fell in love with Yong Soo, he would fall deeper into this dangerous game of love.

After their mid-terms came to an end, Alfred declared that a celebration was needed for one reason or another. Honestly, Emil didn’t question his reasons anymore and just agreed to do whatever Alfred suggested. Their destination ended up being a club, not an ideal place to celebrate, but no point in complaining. It was better than a college dorm party. It was inside this establishment where Alfred would kiss Emil for the first time and would be the first time Emil felt as if he were on cloud nine, though, he could blame the alcohol in his system for that fact. The night would end with a declaration of love, and when Emil arrived in his dorm room, he’d collapse on his bed and allow his bangs to fall right above his eyes. His lips would twitch in a gentle smile at the mere thought of being in love again. He didn’t even allow the thought that this relationship could run south.

When he tossed in his bed, he would lay on his back and stretch one arm over his head. He gazed at the ceiling and let out a sigh. So much has happened over the past few months, and it was rather overwhelming, but there was also a sense of comfort, at least with the past few weeks. Emil could only hope that nothing would ruin this perfect relationship. He couldn’t get much sleep that night, mostly due to the contained excitement and the adrenaline pumping in his veins, so he opted to talk to a friend he missed seeing, despite the male being somewhat annoying at times. The last time he spoke with Leon was during the summer, and since Leon was attending a different university, in a city that was two hours away, making arrangements to see one another wasn’t exactly the easiest task. Emil would sit up and reach for his phone to dial the number. He would then place the phone to his ear and wait for the recipient to pick up, which would occur after the first ring. Leon always managed to answer the phone quickly, which never passed as a strange occurrence to Emil. 

When Leon answered the phone, they would begin their conversation by stating what happened so far, while they were attending courses at their college. Leon would jokingly admit that he wasn’t fully invested in his studies and only continued to stay around for the parties. Emil would mention his experiences and bring up the subject of Alfred. The name alone caused Leon to experience a moment of hesitation.

"Oh- someone managed to capture that cold heart of yours, huh? Well, he better treat you right, or they'll get a visit from me." Leon chuckled, but it was forced. He couldn't reveal that he was devastated by the news. Leon had to be happy, even if it meant wearing a mask and acting like a supportive friend that was thrilled to hear about their friend finding a potential partner. "Yeah, he's quite loud, but a sweetheart. What about you? Have you found anyone yet?" Emil asked, stretching his legs out under the covers to get comfortable. 

Leon shook his head in person, and lips would turn into a frown. "Not yet, haven't found the one, you know?" Another lie. He already found the one back in high school, but it was obvious that his feelings would never be returned. 

"Oh, I'm sure you will find someone soon."

They talked about other things, minimal topics really, and ended the call with "goodnight." Just as Leon said his farewell, he would end his statement with something he never been able to admit in front of anyone. These three words should have been said long ago, and had they been spoken then, perhaps, Emil would be his.

"I love you."

He would drop the phone and bury his face in the palms of his hands as he wept tears of loneliness and heartache. It was childish to cry over a tiny crush, but Leon had fallen in love so hard that it was difficult to move on. His feelings were genuine, but they were never going to be returned. Only in his dreams would he be allowed to call Emil his and be able to hold him in his arms and press butterfly kisses along his jaw and neck.

When he fell asleep that night, Leon dreamt of Emil. They were in a field in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by flowers and a patch of freshly cut grass. Their feet were bare, and smiles could be seen on both of their faces as their hands were intertwined with one another. The cool breeze brushed against their hair, and the sunlight shined down in the right spot, making Emil's hair glow, giving him an angelic aura. 

His dear angel never seemed to lose any beauty and appeared stunning in every circumstance, whether underneath the sun or beneath the midnight sky and gleaming stars. Emil was perfect, and nothing would alter that.

"Hey, Emil?" Leon spoke first as they sat on the grass and stared off into the distance. Emil, his boyfriend, would hum in response. "What is it, Leon?" 

"Have I told you I loved you?"

"Only about a hundred times." Emil would turn around and allow his eyes to become trapped under the gaze of a pair of honey eyes. "I love you too, but you already know that." He smiled and would inch closer until their shoulders were touching, and Emil would rest his head upon Leon's shoulder. Leon grasped the fragile hand with a gentle squeeze and let out a sigh of content. 

If only he could live the rest of his life inside his dreamscape. The perfect world, where the population was two and both were happily in love without a care in the world.


End file.
